


Nothing in this World

by SkyEverett



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Spoilers, Clint Barton's Farm, Family, Family Don't End in Blood, Flying, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hopeful Ending, Loss, Movie Spoilers, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Spoilers, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-04 18:37:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4148580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyEverett/pseuds/SkyEverett
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been two weeks since the Avengers took down Ultron.  The new Avengers team has been made, and the old one has scattered, but Wanda Maximoff is still struggling to cope with the loss of her brother.  After she makes an unexpected visit to his house, Clint and his wife help Wanda get back on her feet again, and remind her about the other family she has.  Family isn't limited by blood, never was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing in this World

**Author's Note:**

> I just finished my Scarlet Witch cosplay and I re-watched Avengers 2 again. The next morning this story came to me. I hope you enjoy!

_“What if I’m far from home?  Oh brother, I will hear you call._

_What if I lose it all?  Oh sister, I will help you out…”_

 

_She found Ultron’s broken body in the wreckage of a fallen train.  He looked lost, beaten, even shattered as he faintly hummed the tune of an old song from her childhood.  Even the strong vibranium armor that he had given himself was broken, dented, and beyond repair.  Despite his state, he managed to look up and see her approaching him.  She could imagine the look on her own face: dead, emotionless.  The one thing she lived for was gone from the world, and this abomination was the reason for it._

_“Wanda...” he whispered.  “If you stay here, you’ll die.”  His voice was no longer snarky and confident.  He was defeated and weak._

_“I just did,” she answered, kneeling down beside him.  “Do you know how it felt?” Her fingertips glowed red with energy as she held her hand above Ultron’s chest.  He made a small noise of pain as she reached inside him, but she was sure that he was faking, trying to earn her pity as a last resort._

_He wasn’t human.  He didn’t even have a soul.  And things without souls never felt real pain._

_There was a little screeching sound as a hunk of metal flew out of Ultron’s chest and into her hand.  It was nothing more than a hunk of metal with a few broken wires leading out of it.  It was such a terrible imitation of a heart, but the red light behind Ultron’s eyes faded immediately._

_"It felt like that,” she finished softly._

* * *

    Wanda’s eyes flew open and a surprised gasp escaped from her lips.  She sat up straight in bed as the image of her brother’s broken body faded from her eyes.  _Pietro…!_   She held her head in her hands as more tears threatened to appear.  It had only been two weeks since the Avengers had stopped Ultron, but Wanda was feeling more and more unstable as the number of days without Pietro only grew and grew.  But no matter how many times she wished, no matter how many times she relieved that fateful day, she couldn’t escape the fact that Pietro was dead, he was gone, he was never coming back.

   Even though it was the middle of the night, she dragged herself out of bed and changed into a simple black dress and draped a red shawl over her shoulders.  She had to get out, had to leave this place, and quickly.

   In the last few days, Wanda got the chance to experiment with her powers a little more, and with the help of the Vision, she had learned how to fly.  Within a few seconds, she was in the air, her bedraggled hair whipping around her, reminding her too much of the times when her brother would take her in his arms and run.  She didn’t know where she was going, but she trusted her powers to carry her there.

   She didn’t know how long she was in the air, but she soon landed in a rural area filled with fields and farmhouses.  This place was unfamiliar, but for some reason, Wanda felt a strong sense of safety coming from it.  After walking for a little while, she felt a familiar mind within her reach, followed by its voice, echoing around inside her head:

_"We’re fighting an army of robots…and I have a bow and arrow.  None of this makes sense.”_

_Hawkeye,_ she thought numbly, and walked in his direction.

* * *

   Clint and his wife sat in the kitchen of their little farmhouse, talking late in the night.  Neither one of them were tired, even after a long day of herding their children around.  The topic this time was Nathaniel, their little baby boy who had been born just around three weeks ago. 

   “He really is growing up fast,” Laura was saying.  “Maybe one day you could teach him how to shoot an arrow.”

   Clint laughed.  “Maybe, but I don’t want to influence him completely.  You’re going to have to teach him things, too.”

   “What,” Laura teased, “afraid he’ll be better than you?”

   “I was code-named Hawkeye for a reason, Laura,” answered Clint.  “But seriously, I hope he grows up with your kindness and strength.”

   “I’m not as strong as you are,” Laura admitted.

   “You are,” Clint replied immediately.  “Don’t say that.”

   “How do you know?” she asked.

   “Well…”  Clint turned and looked at their fireplace, crackling in the hearth.  “While I’m out doing my Avenging, who’s chopping up the wood for the fireplace?  Don’t tell me you and the kids are always cold when I’m gone.”

   “Okay, okay, you win,” Laura laughed, holding her hands up.  “I’m wrong.”

   Clint was just about to make another funny remark, but at that moment he heard someone climbing the steps on their porch.  He and Laura shared a quizzical look before a streak of red energy pushed the door open.

   Wanda Maximoff stood in the doorway wearing a black dress with a red sarong draped over her shoulders.  There were circles under her eyes and she wore a lost expression on her face.

   “Wanda?” asked Laura worriedly, standing up and walking over to her.  “What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

   Wanda blinked, and some awareness sparked in her eyes.  “I’m sorry…”

   “No,” answered Laura, “no, it’s no trouble at all!  Here, sit down, I’ll make some tea.”  Wanda obeyed, while Laura began to busy herself with heating some water.

   “You alright?” Clint asked.  Wanda merely shook her head and her hair fell forward over her face.  “Is it…” Clint didn’t want to mention Pietro’s name if it only caused her more pain.  The two had clashed in their brief meetings, but Pietro had saved Clint’s life—and ended his own in the process.  Clint was willing to do anything to help Wanda cope with that.

* * *

    Wanda sipped the tea that Laura had prepared for her.  It was warm and soothed the pain in her heart.  She couldn’t even remember her own mother making her tea—she would have been too young. 

   She fingered her long necklace—she hadn’t taken it off since the fight weeks ago.  It was a simple thing—a silver pendant on a blue string, but Pietro had given it to her, and it was all she had left of him now.

   Hawkeye just sat next to her with a comforting hand on her shoulder.  Wanda saw in his mind that he wanted to help, but didn’t know how to go about doing it.  But she was glad he cared.

   Just then, she heard a little child crying from a little ways away.  She looked up, wondering where it was coming from, but Laura sighed.  “Will he ever stay asleep?” she said to Hawkeye. 

   Hawkeye shrugged, but then his face lit up.  “Bring him here—Wanda could hold him.”

   Laura brightened as well.  “That’s a great idea,” she replied, and vanished from the room.  A few moments later, she returned with a crying baby in her arms.  The baby had a tuft of brown hair on his head and was wearing little blue footie pajamas.  Tears were streaming down his pudgy face.  But Laura only smiled and held him out to Wanda.  “Just hold him in your arms so he’s comfortable.  That’s it,” she added as Wanda took the baby from her and tucked him into the crook of her arm.

   “What’s his name?” she asked, and Hawkeye smiled.

   “Nathaniel,” he answered.  “Nathaniel Pietro Barton.”

   Wanda gasped softly at the mention of her brother in this baby’s name.  She was touched that Hawkeye would name his son after her brother, even though the two never really got along.  And at that very moment—Wanda didn’t know if she had used her powers subconsciously to ease the baby’s distress—Nathaniel stopped crying and looked up at her with two big, beautiful blue eyes.

   For about a minute Nathaniel held Wanda’s gaze, and in that minute, Wanda felt something.  Being a telepath, she had felt many emotions before—some not even her own—but this was different; it was almost like she felt another presence in the room at that moment.  It was impossible—there was no way in the world that this was real—but Pietro looked up at her through the eyes of Hawkeye's child.  

   But then the moment was over, and Nathaniel reached his chubby arms out for Laura.  Wanda held Nathaniel out to Laura, and Laura took him back.

   “Thank you,” Wanda breathed.  “He’s beautiful.”

   “No problem,” answered Laura cheerfully, and went to put him back to bed.

   “Looks like he likes you,” said Hawkeye with a smile.

   Wanda nodded.  “I like him too.” _His eyes are like Pietro’s.  They remind me of him._

* * *

    About an hour of chatting with Hawkeye and Laura later, Wanda stood on the porch of the farmhouse, looking out at the rising sun.  Something about her interaction with the Barton family had left her feeling lighter, more positive.  It was nice to know that she could have friends to rely on.

   She heard the door open and turned around to see Hawkeye join her.  “You going to head out?” he asked.

   Wanda nodded.  “I think so.  Thank you for helping me.”

   Hawkeye shook his head.  “Anytime.  That’s what family’s for.”

   “Family?” repeated Wanda.

   “Yeah,” answered Hawkeye.  “It’s never limited by blood.  From the moment you joined the team, you’ve been family.  It was never you and your brother against the world, all right?”

   Wanda’s heart swelled.  “Really?”

   “Yeah,” he replied.  “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I stabbed you in the head that one time.”

   Wanda laughed.  “It’s alright.  And…thank you anyway.”

   “See you around, Wanda,” he said.

   “And you, Mr. Hawkeye,” she replied.

   “It’s Clint,” he corrected.

   “Clint,” she repeated.  “Sorry.”  She walked down the steps and into the grass.  A sudden gust of wind swirled around and past her, and once again she was reminded of Pietro.  But this time, the memory of him was not followed by grief, but by happiness and freedom.  She smiled and turned around.  “You’re a good man, Clint,” she called.  “I’m glad that Pietro decided to save your life.” 

   Then she rose into the air and let the winds propel her back to the base.  She looked around, and for a moment she saw Pietro running alongside her.  The surprise she felt must have been evident, because he turned to her with a smile on his face, one meant only for her, and she grinned back.

 _“What?”_ he asked, his voice like the wind.  _“You didn’t see that coming?”_

 

_“If the sky comes falling down,_

_For you, there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do.”_


End file.
